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Pomegranate Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Middle Eastern Restaurants Persian/Iranian Middle Eastern, Persian/Iranian [Edit]
420 College StToronto, ON M5T 1T3
Neighbourhood: Kensington Market
(416) 921-7557
- Hours:
Tue-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
33 reviews for Pomegranate Restaurant
Review Highlights
"The lamb was tender and fell off the bone."
(in 4 reviews)
"...rice - slivers of seville orange peel, almond and pistachio..."
(in 3 reviews)
"...blended into a saffron basmati rice topped with crispy..."
(in 3 reviews)
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33 reviews in English
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Review from August L.
8/30/2011
So this is what persian food is!
FOOD
So a friend and I went to this Pomegranate place because....well ...it apparently had great lamb shank.
And yes...this is correct. The lamb shank was fantastic. The lamb was so big and simply just fell off the bone. My friend had the Morasa Polo since everyone on Yelp chose that one and I had the special of the day (I honestly can't remember what it was).
The Morasa Polo was definitely better than the special of the day. It was much more flavourful than mine.
I felt like mine had no taste whatsoever and that everything tasted the same.
Oh well, I just ate my friend's meal. That's what friends are for right? HA.
RESERVATIONS
Based on all the reviews, I made sure we got a reservation. But when we got there on the Friday night, the place was only about half full. But since the restaurant was a relatively small place, it's still a good idea to make reservations. I just didn't feel it was that urgent because it never quite filled up to capacity.
WAIT STAFF
The wait staff were very knowledgable and kind. I know other yelpers complained that they took a really long time so I let them know that we had a place to be at a certain time and they were pretty quick on their toes. Mind you, we didn't order desert.
PARKING
We found parking on the street with only a little difficulty. There were some side streets (paid parking) that were untouched and relatively close.
All and all, it was a good meal. Just be careful when you order the special of the day. If it's your first time, I would definitely go with the Morasa Polo. -
Review from Andrea M.
11/27/2011
I'm Persian, so I've had plenty of experience eating at other Persian restaurants both in Iran and in California. Persians pride themselves on hospitality-- that means that families and restaurant owners go out of their way to make their guests feel welcome-- even unexpected or late guests. This was not the experience here.
I was in Toronto for a conference this last October. My colleagues had heard good things about this restaurant, so we decided to book a table. Be forewarned-- they are a small restaurant that is not accommodating to a dinner party size that increases by 1-2 people. Two colleagues and I came 20 minutes later than the rest of the group. They refused to serve any hot foods to 2 out of 3 of us because we were seated at a different table. "Our small kitchen can not accommodate any additional people at the 6pm serving." We could choose only from their cold appetizer selection. The appetizers we did order-- the kashka badamjan (eggplant dip) and mirsa gahsame (eggplant with egg dip) both didn't taste right. They were bland, and not very flavorful. These dishes are usually serves warm, with warm/ toasty bread. The fesanjan (pomegranate walnut sauce) also didn't taste quite right (again very bland) and was very watery.
I would not recommend coming here if you wanted real Persian food. That being said, 1/2 of my non-Persian colleagues, who had never tasted Persian food, seemed to like what they ordered. -
Review from Imran N.
10/18/2011
Ok so i have mixed feelings about this place.
I was excited to finally have tried the place, but overall, i liked the food, but maybe it was too hyped up for me.
I found the food flavourfull, good, but not mind blowing. I've been to Iran before and found the food close to authentic, but at same time, you could still taste Canada if that makes any sense.
That being said, it does good for an Iranian restaurant here....but to be honest with you, there are quite a few similar joints in the north end with the same flavour profile. My iranian friend that came with me to dinner shared the same view as i did.
All in all, great Irani food, especially for downtown, but don't expect this place to be a regular spot that blows your mind. I'll go back for sure, but i won't be making the recommendation to go there. -
Review from Kat T.
7/20/2011
Unique food that took me years to finally get out to the place and then the first time I decided to go, they were full. Persian is popular- plan ahead and make a reservation.
For vegetarians, the entree's are unique, but I'm not sure it's the type of food I crave. Pomegranate seeds and walnut sauce make up the most of what I remember. Didn't opt for dessert. Too many great restaurants in the city to focus on persian. -
Review from JJ K.
6/8/2011
The food is delicious and very reasonably priced. Loved the decor. Only reason why I gave 4 stars instead of the 5 is because the service could've been a little better. They took a long time to take our order and to give us our check. Tthe servers appeared overwhelmed and since we were sitting in the back, we could overhear them constantly complaining about how busy it was (while it was very busy, take the complaints behind closed doors where your patrons can't overhear you!)
I had the morasa polo -- the lamb shank fell off the bone and the jewelled rice complimented the lamb well. The jewelled rice had a number of different components that blended perfectly -- fruity & sweet, salty & nutty. The flavors were spot on.
My boyfriend had the adas polo with the lamb shank. The lamb shank was again perfectly cooked and fell off the bone. The rice again was very flavorful with the lentils, dates, and raisins. -
Review from Anita T.
Toronto, ON
3/21/2011
I was SO SO SO SO EXCITED to try this place. It was my suggestion for a Friday night out, and everyone was game! We got reservations for 8:30pm (btw - the waitress on the phone was amazing!)... and then it took a little nosedive (for me, anyway).
As a vegetarian, it didn't strike me to maybe check out the menu THOROUGHLY beforehand. There's always vegetarian options, right? RIGHT. Well... while there were some vegetarian options, I found that what I ordered (the vegetarian fesenjaan) was really not for me. It was an amalgamation of mushrooms (liking this so far) doused in syrups (Aye! not for a main dish - nooooooo!). It was extremely sweet and kind of made me gag. I finished the rice plain and kept ordering bread - because if all else fails, carbs are your friends.
On a brighter note, my meat eating friends were licking their plates clean! Yup - so verdict: TRY IT if you eat meat :) and eat before if you have to go and you're a vegetarian!
And on a non-food related note: the decor was amazing - authentic, colorful and just really ethnic. -
Review from Shari M.
Toronto, ON
1/2/2011
I started to write a review about another restaurant, and realized that no middle eastern restaurant can hold a candle to Pomegranate. This is one of my favourite restaurants in Toronto. Reason being - I love variety and complexities in my food. The use of different spices, meats, fruit - it is foodgasm over and over.
The decor - amazing. I just *sigh* can't even express how beautiful this spot is and how I have only been there once (shame on me!!!).
Pomegranate, I will be back soon, I promise!!Listed in: Comfort Food
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Review from Viviana M.
Toronto, ON
4/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
I would give this place a 2 star because aside from making a fall-off-the-bone lamb, the place lacks a lot in taste. The appies we had which were mostly made with yogurt were extremely plain and simple. We had to add a ton of salt and pepper to give it some flavour.
Once again, the meat was good, because it was tender, but it lacked in flavour completely. The only compliment I would give this place is on its different beer selection. I like fruity beers and they seem to have quite the selection.
Service was good. -
Review from Jay M.
Toronto, ON
4/23/2011
Lots of great reviews for Pomegranate, but I'm guessing those people eat meat. The vegetarian options are all a variation of saffron rice. The rice has a nice yellow colour, but it tastes like plain basmati. It's boring. The "baqali polo" mixes in dill and fava beans with the saffron rice, but it's still a long way from flavourful or interesting. Another dish adds some fried onions, but the take-away is thay I just paid $10 for a plate of rice. The charred eggplant (and saffron rice, again!) tasted odd to me. A little like burnt plastic and despite the menu promising "mildly spiced" it had no heat whatsoever.
Sorry pomegranate. Please work on your veg options or don't even bother. -
Review from G M.
Toronto, ON
4/30/2011
I went to Pomegranate for the first time with three friends last night and loved it. The service was excellent but not stifling and the food was delicious and affordable.
As the three of us had never been to the restaurant before, we asked the server's advice about what to order. We are all omnivore/carnivores, but one person in our party is lactose intolerant, which we mentioned to the server. We'd picked some appetizers (dolmeh and charred eggplant dip - both delicious and piping hot when they arrived) and the server expertly recommended three dishes as an introduction into Persian cuisine, all of which were complex and filling.
We shared the dessert plate of three pastries, which was a perfect end to the meal. With drinks (they have a decent wine selection, too), appetizers, mains and a shared dessert, the bill came to around $100 for the three of us, which was amazing value for the great meal.
I can see how this place would be challenging for vegetarians, however, as most of the curried and stewed dishes are very meat-focused.
I will definitely go back, probably bringing out-of-town guests to try it out as it's a comfortable atmosphere with great food and reliable, friendly service. -
Review from Fereshteh Z.
10/3/2010
A truly authentic experience!
I was really missing my mom's cooking and needed a Persian food fix. Pomegranate saved the day. It really felt like I had gone home for dinner. As soon as you enter the restaurant, you smell the rich aromas coming from the kitchen. The ambiance is rustic and intimate. The food was delicious! I ordered the "adas polo" and my husband the "fesengan". Portions were generous and tasted home cooked. To top off a great meal, we ordered the persian ice cream ( ice cream with saffron, pistachios, rose petals and pomegranates) . I would also recommend ordering the persian tea which is made with a traditional "samovar".
I will definitely return the next time I miss home. -
Review from Laura C.
Toronto, ON
9/16/2010
I have not a bad thing to say about the place! And it all started from the prompt (1 min delay) when they called me back after a left a message for a reservation.
You walk in, and it's like you've entered into another world. It's like the old town in Iran. My Iranian friend who was with me told me the script on the walls were from famous poems. He also told me how the trays they were used are authentic from Iran, handmade. they are heavy too. Impressive.
Because our party reduced from 3 to two, they offered us the loungey daybed area, covered in carpets and beaded pillows. It was a different experience, but would be improved if the area was a bit more private. It's right beside the cash and entrance to the kitchen. I'm sure every bit of our conversation was heard. Nevertheless, it was really nice to catch up with a friend in this setting. The food was a bit hard to eat without my back getting sore, but proper pillow adjustments will help.
I digress.
The food was really good. Something different for sure.
The servers were very accommodating to my gluten/diary free diet. They usually serve the dips (I got the charred spicy eggplant $6.50) with flatbread. I asked if they had something else, and offered me TahDig (if they had it, and they did). It's the crunchy rice you find at the pot. I was SO pleased that not only the chinese enjoy this. AND i get to dip it in stuff! What a great idea!
For the entree I got the braised lamb with the lentil, raisins and dates rice ($16.50) The giant shank was fall of the bone soft and tender. Along with the sweet bits of the rice it was a perfect combination. For an extra $1 you can get a side of yogurt for dipping. It also comes with greed salad and a special persian salad which only seemed like tomatoes, onions and chopped cucumbers. Portions are sizable and you will feel good and full, but not stuffed.
For dessert, there was the traditional Persian dessert there come with three different things. Small, but will fulfill the sweet tooth: chickpea flour cooki (gluten free), fried honey dough (tastes like a saffron greek honey ball but smaller), honey covered almonds and pistachios. $4.50
Now, i came here with the only Persian in the restaurant. He was not super impressed, and agreed that although it tries hard to be authentic, it lacked the oomph of traditional flavours he's used to back home. Our theory is that it's definitely catered to westerners, but what ethnic food in Toronto isn't.
I'd still want to come back here. tasty food, good prices. Great date place especially if you can reserve the day bed area. The food didn't blow my mind per say, but it was very good - along with the decor and the great service, it's a place that's other worldly. -
Review from Sandra T.
Toronto, ON
9/19/2010
Delicious!
Entrees were reasonably sized and priced at $14.95. Quality excellent.
I had the morasa polo which is described as
"jewelled rice - slivers of seville orange peel, almond and pistachio with diced carrots and barberries blended in saffron basmati rice served with a braised lamb shank "
The rice was simply amazing ... I am still thinking about it now.
My husband ordered the adas polo - "lentils, dates and sultana raisins blended into a saffron basmati rice topped with crispy onion with barberries"
I had a bite of his and definitely liked mine a lot better. His rice had an overwhelmingly onion-y taste. He loved his rice but admitted there were too many raisins. The only complaint I can think of with my dish was that I wish the portion was bigger ... but now I am just being greedy.
Ordered two appetizers as well - the dolmeh - rice wrapped in grape leaves and the vegetarian caviar. Both were pretty good but kind of pricey for the amount served.
The pomegranate juice is "meh" and overpriced. I think the POM juice is A LOT better.
You need to make reservations at this place. We were almost turned away even though we arrived at the restaurant at 5:30 - and the restaurant opens at 5:00.
Great place for a date - very cozy and intimate. Not really appropriate for kids ... whoops :( -
Review from Maxine C.
Toronto, ON
12/22/2010
I couldn't find my friends when I first walked in ... because they were around the corner, seated cross-legged, sock-footed on an elevated platform covered with Persian rugs and cushions! Being a sucker for novelty, that got things started off on the right foot for me.
The vegetarian fesenjaan I ordered was pretty good -- a thick stew with a complex flavour made with portobello and button mushrooms and pomegranate -- however, the rest of the dish was unabashed filler. To accompany the stew was half-heartedly seasoned white rice with a pile of salad and a cup of salsa fresca (?!). Aside from the fesenjaan itself, I wasn't impressed, but my perceptions might have been different given better presentation.
For dessert, we split the plate of assorted Persian sweets, which left a better taste in my mouth than my entrée, literally and figuratively. I'm hard-pressed to name what it was or describe it (website isn't any help), but it's certainly worth trying.
The entire restaurant is beautifully decorated with Persian rugs, tiles and assorted objets d'art. Coupled with the dim lighting, it's a good place to impress a date with your worldliness, and if you really hit it off, you won't even notice the culinary shortcomings.
My socks are far from being knocked off, but I'm intrigued enough by the food and others' glowing Yelp reviews to want to give it another go sometime. -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
5/23/2010 30 photos
My 300th reviews for my 2nd UYE event!
Thanks Bijan V for organizing this UYE. If not I would have never ever cross my mind to try out Persian food or even coming to Pomegranate Restaurant. And of course fellow yelpers that makes the evening enjoyable!
The Pomegranate Restaurant itself is small and cosy. I have to say the decoration is really exotic. I really like all those rich colours they used in everything. The blue ceiling, the colourful tables, the textiles used, the plates that decorated the walls! (good for interesting, colourful photos!!)
It was really nice to have enough people so we can share the dishes! As I always have lunch alone and ended up it will take me a couple of times before I can tried out all the different dishes in a restaurant, but with all these dinnermates, I got to have a taste of everything!
Since I was not the one that ordering I don't really know which is which item in the menu.
For starter, there are 3 spreads with the bread. I really love the bread. It is freshly baked! I am eating the spreads because of the bread!
There is also this greeny moldy looking yogurt drink that has mint and rose petal water. It is salty tasting with an acquired taste. Some complains it tasted like toothpaste. However, I find it goes really well with the lamb dishes, it naturalized the "lamb" taste and the other strong herbal tastes in the meat dishes.
For 4 main entrees we shared, 2 of them are stews (chicken and lamb) and 2 of them are lamb shanks. They all comes with salad and rice. I do enjoy the taste of the stews, the favour is really complex... with all those spices and herbs. The lamb shanks though are really tender and juicy and cook to perfection.
Even as a non lamb eater, to my surprise even I enjoyed the lamb dishes!
For desserts, we have the persian tea... which go well with the super sweet desserts!
The services is nice and friendly. Though we cannot stay longer to relax because our table is needed for another group of later dinners.
The day bed at the back of the restaurant seems like a really relaxing neat place to have some finger food and a drink or 2 with friends!
I have to say that the Persian spices and herbs does need to be get used to! I was burping the whole night! :) or was it from the cabornated green drink that I drank almost half a pitcher?
BURP! BURP! BURP!Listed in: Romantic Places!, Persian's Experience in GTA!
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Review from Angela L.
8/3/2010
I'd heard so many great things about Pomegranate that we I thought we were wise to arrive extra early for dinner one evening. While the restaurant was essentially empty when we entered, the friendly server very nicely asked whether we had made reservations and assured us that despite our not having done so, that we could have the table for an hour and a half.
Despite there being two daily specials (both featuring lamb) and a good assortment of dishes on the menu, we both ended up ordering the same thing: mushrooms in a rich ground walnut and pomegranate sauce served with fragrant rice, a refreshing cucumber salad, and mixed greens. I also opted for a side of decadently thick yogourt, which arrived as a heaping cupful, so one order could likely satisfactorily be shared between two.
Over the course of our meal, the warm and richly tapestried room filled up quickly with families, couples on dates, and small groups of friends. All of the happy chatter made for a lovely atmosphere to dine in. While we had been looking so very much forward to sharing the dessert of Persian rose ice cream with pistachios, we were both far too full by the end of the meal, but instead made note of it for next time. -
Review from D I.
5/20/2010
Fantastic.
Great veggie options (four of us ordered different things and shared), super cool people, and fairly inexpensive.
Would eat there again in a heartbeat. -
Review from Rita E.
6/14/2010 1 Check-in Here
Bijan V, thank you for opening my mind to Persian Food. I am a fan.
The flavors bursting out of every dish are incredible. Everything tastes complex, rich, thoughtful, delicious! We ordered several appetizers, entrees, and desserts. This is an obvious pro to group dining, and I couldn't have imagined a better way to experience this food.
Service was on point, too, for such a big group as ours. They were extremely friendly and knowledgeable.
My favorite part of the meal was probably dessert. We ordered Persian tea. It was very good. Bijan even taught us the proper way to drink it -- with a half a sugar cube in your mouth instead of in the cup.
I would definitely go back. -
Review from WaYnE c.
Maple, ON
7/13/2010 3 photos
UYE Authentic Persian! The SEQUEL! Not really, it was just me and my buddy doing some chilling and catching up but I still reserved on a Tuesday night anyways since I'm not taking any chances.
Arrive around 7:00pm the place was half full with couples to a larger group of 6 or so. First thing I noticed was not the decor but my nose smelled of SPICE and I still can't identify it as the longer I stay there the more de-sensitized I became to it.
We were given table options and took the seat across from the DAYBED. It is a great setting here with a small fish pond to the crafts on the wall and the Persian lettering all around. I really appreciate whoever came up with the design here.
We began to chat and SCAN the Drink Menu first then the Food Menu afterwards. I took awhile for our server to come back to us just to get our Drink ordered. When my friend got his Pomegranate Juice and I got my Doogh 10-15 minutes after ordering, the server did an INSTEAD disappearing act before I can even say Morasa.
After that I knew this will be a longer meal than usual, but fortunately I had my Doogh and lots of catching up to do. The Doogh was salty as advertised and I'm not a fan but I'm A-OK with it, however my friend dislikes it.
Our server did come back if you were wondering, actually I'm sorry to say it was a different server this time and it was after trying to wave down a third server to take our order. That third server never did speak to us or even gave a smirk or smile, I want our ORIGINAL server back.
Moving on I got Morasa Polo, where our second server answered while we ordered is that Polo means the Rice portion of the meal. My friend had the acclaimed Baqali Polo.
The Morasa Polo($14.95)(jewelled rice - slivers of seville orange peel, almond and pistachio with diced carrots and barberries blended in saffron basmati rice served with a braised lamb shank) was flavourful and satisfying not in the supersize portion way.
The Jewelled Rice is worthy of being re-ordered again next time I visit. The Braised Lamb Shank was super TENDER so I have to wonder how long it took to braise something like that especially since this is Home-Style Persian food. The electricity bill in Persian per household must be SKYHIGH. Maybe a slow-cooker for 8 hours?!?
I gave the Polo of Baqali Polo a try but I think I will stick with the Polo of Morasa Polo. When the meal was done, the bill came pretty fast as my friend and I finally felt SETTLED in and ready to stay the night.
I will only deduct 0.5 *Stars* for the service this night. Pomegranate for the Decor/Food deserves 4 *Stars*. This brings their grand total to 3.5 *Stars*.Listed in: 3.5 ***Stars***, Middle East Scoops, I-ran for Persian Cuisine
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Review from Bijan V.
8/12/2008 2 Check-ins Here
A solid cozy authentic Persian restaurant, this place specializes on the stew type Iranian foods as opposed to the most common kebab type Persian places. Their food is authentically made (and most are healthy!) and I love the cultured atmosphere inside the restaurant. The food is a bit pricey but is definitely worth it as you really cannot have it anywhere else!!
I usually tend to say what the must haves are of each restaurant I go to but I love everything they serve and if you want to know what regular daily authentic Iranian food is like, then definitely try this place out.
Just make sure to have a cup of tea with sweets to seriously relax yourself after an enjoyable dinner. -
Review from Vic H.
Toronto, ON
8/15/2010
Group of 6, it was hit and miss between the group.
First, the service was pretty poor, had to give the staff a serious talking to before they got into the game. Waiting with no water, waitress running around doing nothing between getting drinks, huge wait just to get there. After the talking to, they got down to business.
Those that ordered dishes with lamb enjoyed them, those that didn't like lamb and got the various stews thought they were way too sweet and not very good. -
Review from Thom H.
4/22/2010
Remember when you saw that Monet painting up close and you realized that it's just made out of little dots of paint? And then you took a few steps back and saw how wonderful it really was. Eating here is a bit like that.
This place offers a nice range of stews and spreads of various blends served with rice and breads. The menu deliberately avoids items that require a lot of last minute prepping or plating. Whatever you order, you think to yourself, hmm, I could make that. However, as you eat, you uncover further layers of flavour. Your initial guesses at the combinations are thrown out and eventually you just stop guessing.
Making these recipes seems simple enough for anyone with a blender and a slow cooker. But getting all the subtlies in place could take a life time. -
Review from Edward N.
Scarborough, ON
8/20/2009
Went here with some friends and one of whom is Persian. The place was small some say cozy but I dont really go to a restaurant for the decor.
We got 2 appetizers the first was maast-o khiar which consists of yogurt, walnut, raisins and rose petals. I didn't really like because I am not a big yogurt fan but my friends liked it. The second appetizer was kashk-e bademjaan which is charred eggplant, persian whey, garlic and walnuts topped with crispy onion. I liked this one thought it did taste some what similar to bhabha ghanouj and an indian appetizer called aloo bangan. Both appetizers came with the light and fluffy babari bread which is the tradional persian bread.
The entree that I got was called fesenjaan chicken (a smooth rich stew of ground walnut and pomegranate syrup served beside a plate of saffron basmati rice). The dish reminded me of some type of indian dish due to the fact that the sauce was very thick and oily. Nonetheless it was very tasty the pomegranate syrup really added to the balance of the dish as it gave it some sourness
Overall I would recommend this place but don't expect to be taken in a new food experience. However my Persian friend was impressed with the food as it was quite similar to the food they eat back home.
Food - 3/5
Recommendations - Fesenjaan or baqali polo -
Review from karen T.
11/26/2009
Thanks to the reviews here, we decided to try this place when we came into Toronto.
We were looking particularly for a Middle-eastern place where the three of us could comfortably sit and converse over dinner. I say this because my spouse and I (as well as the friend we were with) are all partial to good food first/good dining second, but we wanted a more relaxing atmosphere than some of the excellent-food-but-the-folding-chairs-are-hard places we are happy to patronize when we're taking food home.
Pomegranate is a cozy restaurant which welcomes you in under traditional tile work lintels and an interior that has just enough Persian touches to set a tone without going overboard.
We came in early-ish for dinner (around 6:30), but the place was already filling up and we did promise to be out by 8:00, when reservations would take over our table. I was pleased at the beer and wine selection, which seemed thoughtfully selected for flavor and variety.
Then there was the food. It was delicious. The offerings were interesting and stayed away from the "meat on a stick" variety. The kashk-e bademjaan, a charred eggplant, was rich and smoky, filling your mouth with a wonderful blend of flavor. The babari bread was hearty enough to hold the appetizer, without taking over the taste.
I had the aloo gheysi, a wonderful chicken saffron stew with plums and apricots, while my friend had a special that evening, a lamb stew and eggplant with beet. Our meals arrived nicely plated, the stews in a bowl on the plate next to a really nice saffron-tipped pilau. Each of us had a slice of the crunchy bits from the bottom.
The chicken was marvelous. Tender chunks of meat in a rich whey-saffron sauce, the dried apricots and bokharan plums adding tart and sweet to the palate (be warned - the plums are not pitted).
The lamb was equally delicious, but coming from a different end of the taste buds. Aromatic, with a strong (but pleasant) taste of lamb countered by the smokiness of the eggplant, its flavors complemented the tart-sweet of the chicken.
I would definitely return to this restaurant, and work my way through the menu. -
Review from Skye W.
12/23/2009
Time: 8pm-ish Dec 23rd, made reservations but did not need them- effing freezing weather outside
Ambiance: SO CUTE, persian poetry border on the walls, ethnic-y table cloths, little candles, very warm and cozy
Service: Waiters a bit inattentive, took forever to get the cheque
Food:
Starter: Shared Eggplant with tomato-y stuff and flatbread- a little oily but AMAZING!
Entree: got lamb morasa polo, so tender falling off bone, but a little bland, saffron rice with orange peel, pomegrates, nuts were yummy
Dessert: shared mixed sweet platter dessert- lacy dough in rosewater (i did not enjoy), pistachio and sweet stuff was kind of like peanut brittle, chickpea cookies were melt in my mouth powdery goodness
I want to come here again and try other things!!! -
Review from Teresa H.
Stouffville, ON
12/18/2010
Food was interesting, considering I have never tried this type of food. The decor was very interesting, service was great. The jury is out as to if we liked the food or not. Give it a try.
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Review from Hoai N.
11/27/2010
I'm not sure if it was higher expectations given the ratings on yelp or the fact that we've eaten lots of similar but much better (and cheaper) food in Montreal, but my wife and I were very disappointed by our food here.
The atmosphere is nice, and the price is good, this is true. However, the food was flavorless. Decent quality ingredients (except the not-so-good cut of lamb), with very interesting sounding mixes, but somehow poorly executed. Sorry! -
Review from Catherine L.
Toronto, ON
11/22/2009 ROTD 8/23/2010
I came here with my boyfriend on a Saturday night and made reservations earlier in the day. This is a small restaurant that fills up fast so I would definitely make reservations before coming here.
The restaurant is cozy and the servers are very friendly. The price range is moderate, with entrees running from $12 - $18. You can see the full menu on their website: http://www.pomegranate...
The Food:
Main Course
Me: morasa polo - LOVED IT
I really enjoyed my morasa polo, which is braised lamb shank and saffron rice that has slivers of seville orange peel, almond and pistachio with diced carrots and barberries. The lamb was tender and fell off the bone. The rice was delicious - premium basmati rice that was both salty and sweet with the addition of the orange peel and nuts. Yum!!
Bf: fesenjaan with lamb - LOVED IT
He actually tried to order the qeymeh at first but they were out of it. Not sure how often this happens - this was fairly early on a Saturday night (7pm) so we were a bit surprised that they were out already. But the waiter then recommended fesenjaan as one of their specialties and my boyfriend really enjoyed it. The dish normally comes with chicken breast, but my boyfriend had his heart set on lamb and asked if the dish could be served with that instead. The waiter checked and was able to accommodate us - yay! That definitely scored service points in our books. The waiter actually told us that fesenjaan used to be served with lamb before, but they no longer offer that on the menu, but if you ask for it, you can still get it, so good to know! The walnut pomegranate paste was really different. I thought it was alright, but my boyfriend really liked it. So much that he mentioned it again at dinner tonight (at Pomegranate's little sister restaurant next door) how much he liked it. That doesn't happen often!
Dessert - Ice cream and Mint tea - LOVED IT
The ice cream is homemade honey rosewater ice cream and it was really good. The flavours are very subtle and not too sweet, which my boyfriend really liked. The mint tea was simply fresh mint leaves steeped in water, but it was enough to give off a minty taste.
Overall, we really like this restaurant, for the friendly, accommodating service, generous portion size, moderate price and awesome food!
Lastly, I must tell you the highlight of the evening - I spotted Rachel McAdams dining there!! You can add celebrity hotspot as part of its positives.
I rarely give 5 stars, but Pomegranate restaurant deserves it heartily. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a cozy, intimate restaurant with great lamb dishes and yogurt dips. -
Review from Bradley N.
12/3/2009
Wow, this was a great stop. Of course, if you happen to be dining here with friends who are familiar with Iran and Persian cuisine more generally, it's even cooler. For example, one of my dining companions who was from Iran commented to the chef about the fine details of preparing fesenjaan (he preferred it cooked for hours and hours) while I just ate everything placed before me with the revelatory gusto of someone whose only other Central Asian eating experience was at the famous Helmand, a Karzai family-owned, Afghani restaurant in Mount Vernon, Baltimore (there is one in Boston, too). I ordered the lamb and had some great Shiraz as an accompaniment, then sipped an orange-scented tea with my desert. Superb.
Listed in: Trips to Toronto
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Review from En L.
8/1/2010
TASTY! A small cozy place with beautiful persian decor. I almost always ordered the moraso polo, jewelled basmati rice with braised lamb shank. My favorite dish! But, special of the day always sound so good! For appertizer, zeitoon, an olive paste with lot of garlic, and, dolmeh, stuffed vine leaves, are just delightful! All dishes are fairly price. They are always busy, so, I always call ahead.
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Review from Liora I.
Toronto, ON
7/9/2010
Amazing! I had braised lamb that was so good it just fell off the bone -- seriously, I ate it with a fork and spoon + beautiful Persian rice with orange peel, pomagrante and piatachios. Special food, great atmosphere.
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Review from Joe N.
9/26/2009
if you like Persian food or any kind of middle eastern food you will love this place. It is a small restaurant, not too many seatings, but very nicely decorated and wonderful service. the food is really tasty. I love the eggplants and the lamp. to be very honest, everything we tasted was very good. very casual so dont dress up
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Review from Andre M.
Toronto, ON
6/15/2010
When you take your 86 year old aunt out for dinner, there's a lot to consider - parking, ambience, aural sensations, spiciness, patience of waitstaff to name a few. My aunt said she was ok with anything but we know that is senior code for don't make a fuss but know that I am discerning and impatient so Dont Screw It Up Andre! At Pomegranate all worked out with the exception of parking nut hey it's College Street, what do you expect. I dropped her off at the door and returned to find her chatting with our most pleasant, patient and lovely server. They took my coat and hat - thank you, nice touch. She explained the menu carefully, answered our questions, and was very patient. We admired the artwork and wall hangings. The decor is to be experienced. I will not do it disservice by trying to explain it. Go. The food-hot, fresh, delicious. We already were warned by the server what was too spicy. Our food was perfect. And a sizable portion. My aunt Mae was swooning and would certainly tell all the cute little blue hairs back at the seniors home what a mice boy Andre is and how he continues to impress with outstanding restaurant selections. Thanks Pomegranate foraking a wonderful night for us.
